The field of high definition television (HDTV) currently has several entries offering different technologies to meet the demands of displaying up to 1080 progressively (1080p) scanned lines of data, among them: plasma, LCD (Liquid Crystal Diode), DILA (Direct drive Image Light Amplifier), and DLP® (Digital Light Processing). Many of these technologies have advanced to the point that the TV display unit is relatively thin by comparison to a conventional CRT, thereby making them suitable to be wall-mounted.
However, wall mounting brings with it inherent challenges. Of course, the combined weight of the display unit, hereinafter referred to simply as “TV” whether it comprises a tuner or not, and the mount must be within reasonable limits for the mounting hardware and the wall to support. Conventional mounting may be as simple as a flat wall mount wherein the face of the TV is parallel to the wall. Generally, this is not an acceptable result when one considers the price paid for the HDTV. For optimal viewing, the viewer usually wants the display to be normal to his/her line of sight. With an average viewer seated in a comfortable couch or chair, the viewer's eyeballs would be at about 38 inches above the floor. While it is most desirable from a viewing standpoint for the center of the TV to be located at this same height, this height, in most cases, would likely appear awkward as being too low to persons not seated in the viewers seating area when compared to the other wall furnishings. Therefore, it is routine to install such TVs at some height above the seated viewer's viewpoint. The center of the HDTV would likely be installed at about 67 inches above the floor. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) recommends a minimum viewing angle of 30 degrees for movie theaters. This appears to be becoming a de facto standard for front projection home theaters as well. Viewing from this distance, or closer, reportedly lessens eye strain caused by watching a smaller image in a dark room, and also results in a more “immersive experience.” Accordingly, with a nominal 32″ wide TV, the viewer should be at a distance of about 5 feet from the TV. At this distance between the HDTV and the viewer, with the center of the monitor at 67 inches above the floor, the upward viewing angle to the center is almost 18.5°. Thus, it would be helpful for optimal viewing to tilt the TV so as to be more perpendicular to the line of sight of the viewers. This is currently being accomplished with some wall mounts that typically hang from horizontal bars attached to the wall. In these units, the TV usually tilts around the horizontal centerline and may use any of several methods to adjust and lock the tilt.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a wall mount for a display that addresses the problems of conventional mounts.